Security & Trust

Fraud recognition and prevention tips

We encourage all of our booksellers to be informed of the potential risks
that exist in the world of Internet commerce. To continue to reduce the
risk of fraudulent orders for all of our booksellers, we have created
this page to provide booksellers with information on how to recognize
and take action on possible fraudulent orders.

Indicators of fraud:

Although the majority of our buyers are undoubtedly honest and responsible
individuals, the occasional order may turn up fraudulent. We advise booksellers
to carefully review all orders before processing, particularly those that
display the following traits:

Buyer's contact information, including name and phone number do not
seem to correlate with the client's geographic location (i.e. Henry
Smith, Nigeria)

Invalid shipping address (i.e. Nigeria, Denmark)

Invalid contact information

Please review the rest of this page as well as the Current
Issues page for further details regarding verifying the legitimacy
of buyers. The above indicators alone do not confirm that a client is
fraudulent.

What you can do:

Check Shipping addresses:
Does the zip code/postal code match up with the billing address? The post
office of the jurisdiction you are sending to often has a list of zip
codes or postal codes. See:

USPS: www.usps.com;

Canada Post: www.canadapost.ca

Royal Mail (United Kingdom): www.royalmail.com

La Poste (France): www.laposte.fr

Deutsche Post (Germany): www.deutschepost.de

If you are not familiar with the name of the city, check that the city
name exists in the country. Additionally, unless it's a gift purchase,
the shipping address and billing address (if provided by the buyer in
"Special Instructions") will be identical. Some fraudulent buyers
will use obviously fake shipping addresses. Please take the time to check
that the address is valid.

Another way to check the validity of the buyer's address is to research
the phone number (if provided) with the address. To do so, you may find
the following links helpful:

Verify Credit CardsMany fraudulent purchases are made with stolen credit cards. If
you accept payment by credit cards, here are some things you can do
to check the validity of the card:

Contact your credit card service provider to verify that the card
is valid and has not been reported as lost or stolen.

Credit card companies offer information and various service packages
to assist merchants with fraud prevention and security. Check with your
financial institution for more information.

Some credit cards contain a security code imprinted on the back to
determine the cardholder has the card. You may contact the buyer to
ask for the Credit Card verification number.

If you are accepting credit card payment, don't ship the book until
after the charge has been verified.

Check that the name on the credit card provided is the same as the
person who placed the order. If it is not, you can contact the buyer
using the e-mail address displayed on the right-hand side of the order
screen before you confirm availability of the item.

Track or Insure Your Packages
Insuring or tracking your shipments will protect you against buyers who
falsely claim their books have not arrived. Some booksellers consider
it a small price to pay compared to the value of the potential loss. You
may also have to contact the buyer to request additional charges to cover
the cost of insurance. Many people committing fraud will not reply to
the e-mail.

Expensive Orders
If you receive an order for an expensive book, you can contact the buyer
using the e-mail address displayed on the right-hand side of the order
screen before you confirm availability of the item. Personal contact
with the buyer also gives you the opportunity to make arrangements for
special shipping and handling procedures. Again, if a buyer not responding
to your queries may be indicative of a fraudulent purchase.

Notify AbeBooks Customer Support
If you believe you have received a fraudulent order, please send the
details to AbeBooks
Customer Support. The AbeBooks Security and Trust team will investigate
the issue and put steps in place to prevent future fraudulent incidents.
Booksellers are financially responsible for the outcome of the order
if they processed payment themselves.

To assist us with our investigation, please be sure to include:

The AbeBooks purchase order number

A description of the problem. (Why you think the client and order
is fraudulent? For example, the credit card name doesnt match
the name of the person placing the order; the shipping address doesnt
match the billing address.)

The steps you have taken to investigate the order. (Have you verified
the address/phone number and if so, how? Have you attempted to contact
the buyer by e-mail or phone? Did they respond to you? If so, what did
they say? How did you verify the credit card number?)

Any relevant correspondence including faxes or e-mails that contain
important details

Process a Refund for your Commissions

If you have received a fraudulent order, you can process a refund
for the commissions using the Returns process.

To request a return or refund:

Click [sign on] and enter your E-mail Address and Password.

Click [Process Your Orders] from the Quick Links menu.

When the Order List appears, locate the order by either AbeBooks
purchase order number or BNBQ order number (beginning "510" for
BNBQ returns).

Click [List Orders].

Click [Request a return/refund].

Select the return reason [Incomplete Sale].

Click the [Initiate Return] button.

Click the [Confirm] button to confirm that the details of
the return are correct.

Because the return reason is “Incomplete Sale,” no action
is required on part of the buyer. An e-mail will be sent to the buyer including
any comments you have entered.

Other Resources

If you are unsure that a location is valid, you can use Encarta's Maps Center to confirm a client's geographic location.

Sometimes, fraudulent buyers will use invalid e-mail addresses when they place their orders. You can use InterNIC to check the validity of a buyer's e-mail address by verifying that the domain they are using is active.

Again, please be aware that this information alone does not confirm that a buyer is fraudulent!

Protecting your account, personal information and computer

Ensure you are using updated virus software

Remember to sign off of your account if you are using a public computer

Monitor your credit card account on a regular basis

Monitor your AbeBooks account on a regular basis especially if you are using your account to also place orders

Disclaimer: The information on this page is for
advisory purposes only and does not constitute instructions or directives.
Booksellers are ultimately responsible for protecting themselves and
their business from fraudulent practices. AbeBooks does not guarantee
the information contained in this page will prevent or shield booksellers
from fraud.